MLB Network discusses Fielder to Nationals

[luismatos4prez]

Honestly, whatever. I feel no dislike or animosity towards the Nationals. If they get Fielder, good for them. The Redskins still suck.

[MrOrange82]

Studies do show that fans tend to wait until the 15th crappy season in a row to abandon a baseball team.

Not so. At year 15, fans are merely obliged to form exploratory committees charged with investigating the potential impact(s) of jumping ship. Actual jumping requires additional years (not to mention padding).

[EddieMurrayfan]

They also discussed how the Nationals receive $29 million a year from MASN revenues, and how that will increase.

Did they also discuss how much the Orioles get in MASN revenue, and how that money could be used to help in Baltimore as well?

[Lester Freamon]

The Nationals were a .500 team last season without Strasburg. Would I like to see Prince with the O's? Absolutely. However, I can recognize the difference in station of these two organizations at this time. The Nats are ready to pounce and with Harper and maybe Rendon on the horizon the Nats will be contenders, even in the tough NL East very soon and with the extra wild card coming, possibly as soon as this season. This is a good move for them. I believe that if the O's can get to .500 in 2012 they might be ready to start spending a bit more in free agency.

[Orioles0615]

The Lerners are also like Oprah of the MLB and worth 3 times what Angelos has.

[Dipper9]

If the Nats sign Fielder it does not effect the Orioles at all.

If the Blue Jays sign Fielder then there is a problem.

What DC does does not impact the Orioles in the AL East in anyway.

He didn't say it would effect the Orioles. He said it would effect Orioles fans, and if you don't believe it James, you need to take off the Wild Bill Hagy hat and look around the park. There are 25 thousand fans every night disguised asgreen empty seats. The Nats have been an up and coming team for a couple years now, and the addition of Fielder will definitely pull some more Orioles fans down there. I won't be one of them, as I'll bleed the black and orange forever, but Orioles fans have finally gotten so disgusted that we don't even want to listen to the lies anymore. Its put up or shutup time, and as usual, the Orioles are singing Silent Night.

[BilboBaggins]

The Lerners are also like Oprah of the MLB and worth 3 times what Angelos has.

I was waiting for the "Peter Angelos has no money" theme to pop up.

[weams]

Of course it does. The team is going to lose fans to the Nationals and never get them back. It would be the worst case scenario if he signs with DC.

The Nationals have no fans. Just visitors.

[BilboBaggins]

The Nationals were a .500 team last season without Strasburg. Would I like to see Prince with the O's? Absolutely. However, I can recognize the difference in station of these two organizations at this time. The Nats are ready to pounce and with Harper and maybe Rendon on the horizon the Nats will be contenders, even in the tough NL East very soon and with the extra wild card coming, possibly as soon as this season. This is a good move for them. I believe that if the O's can get to .500 in 2012 they might be ready to start spending a bit more in free agency.

So what the idea here is that the Nationals have been "lucky" to get the first round draft picks and then been good enough to actually develop that talent, and then been smart enough to sign some good free agents over time so that they can build the team slowly but surely.

Boy, I guess the Orioles can't do that because signing good free agents when they're available (even if we can't compete immediately) is an awful idea. :rolleyestf:

Jason Werth alone doesn't change the game, but Jason Werth with Fielder in the lineup and Strasburg on the mound is an entirely different affair.

Sigh. It's so simple to fix. It really is.

[weams]

I was waiting for the "Peter Angelos has no money" theme to pop up.

The Lerners have much more money than Peter.

[weams]

So what the idea here is that the Nationals have been "lucky" to get the first round draft picks and then been good enough to actually develop that talent, and then been smart enough to sign some good free agents over time so that they can build the team slowly but surely.

Boy, I guess the Orioles can't do that because signing good free agents when they're available (even if we can't compete immediately) is an awful idea. :rolleyestf:

Jason Werth alone doesn't change the game, but Jason Werth with Fielder in the lineup and Strasburg on the mound is an entirely different affair.

Sigh. It's so simple to fix. It really is.

Is Strasburg better? I thought he was having trouble with the pitches other than the fastball coming off the surgery.

[weams]

He didn't say it would effect the Orioles. He said it would effect Orioles fans, and if you don't believe it James, you need to take off the Wild Bill Hagy hat and look around the park. There are 25 thousand fans every night disguised asgreen empty seats. The Nats have been an up and coming team for a couple years now, and the addition of Fielder will definitely pull some more Orioles fans down there. I won't be one of them, as I'll bleed the black and orange forever, but Orioles fans have finally gotten so disgusted that we don't even want to listen to the lies anymore. Its put up or shutup time, and as usual, the Orioles are singing Silent Night.

But I like the Hagy Hat.

Seriously, I think that Bryce Harper has mad skills. I have know idea how he will mature as a young man.

[Capn Vivi]

I expect if the Nationals do sign Fielder they will manage to do it for stupid money in spite of the lack of a market. I can't conceal my disappointment but I was upset when Tex signed with the Yankees... looking back on it now I'm glad we didn't give him that contract. I'll likely feel the same way about Prince in a couple years.

[Lester Freamon]

I was waiting for the "Peter Angelos has no money" theme to pop up.

Personally (and I know that many aren't sure about this), I believe Angelos will/would put up the money for a major free agent. However, in McPhail and now in Duquette he has GM's who won't spend the big bucks until the franchise is in a better, healthier position. McPhail was unable to get the O's to this point (although Matusz implosion from last year had a great deal, IMHO, with how poorly the team did). Now Duquette is here and he's going to put his fingerprints on the organization. IMHO, Duquette is doing a bunch of things to the organization that McPhail did not do. I think if/when the O's show to be near competitiveness they will spend for the right free agent(s). Yes, I believe more futility is in store for the near future but McPhail's plan did not work and now Duquette is trying to implement his. Neither GM thought it wise to spend lavishly on FA's until the team was closer to contending.

[SilentJames]

He didn't say it would effect the Orioles. He said it would effect Orioles fans, and if you don't believe it James, you need to take off the Wild Bill Hagy hat and look around the park. There are 25 thousand fans every night disguised asgreen empty seats. The Nats have been an up and coming team for a couple years now, and the addition of Fielder will definitely pull some more Orioles fans down there. I won't be one of them, as I'll bleed the black and orange forever, but Orioles fans have finally gotten so disgusted that we don't even want to listen to the lies anymore. Its put up or shutup time, and as usual, the Orioles are singing Silent Night.

Dude have you seen Nationals attendance numbers? They were a 500 team and finished 14th out of 16th in the NL.

DC does not support teams, the second they struggle they run away. It happens with every DC team. And Orioles fans aren't going to trek down to DC to go to a Nats game on any type of regular basis. The only time the Nationals as a team finished in the single digits in attendance was 2005, their inaugural year.

Getting Prince improves that, but they are arguably in a better position to get Prince as a team. I personally don't care if the Nationals get Fielder. The Nationals aren't in our division, they don't play against us and the contract that they will have to give him will be ludicrous. Nevermind the fact that the Nationals were also the favorites to get Tex...ahem...

I would rather him go to the Nats than the Blue Jays, that will have a direct impact on fans as well - it makes the team's job harder in the long run.